Innerstate Gallery

It is absolutely amazing what is going on in Detroit in the art world. Last year on a tour of the Quicken Loan offices I spoke to some employees who work at Bedrock, a Quicken company. Something one of them said really stuck with me. They said after all the survey's and studies on how to revitalize the once great city of Detroit, they all had one theme in common. GET THE ARTISTS ON BOARD!! Yes this is true. Not just because the artists will move to Detroit, but because art connects us all. It plays a major roll in many of our lives. Some of us more then others, but you have to admit you see art every day. So now we talk about Innerstate Gallery. The owners are so in touch with the community, they have created a gallery and online art store that is literally booming! The current exhibit they are featuring is Versatile featuring the artwork of graffiti artist COPE2. Also located on the side streets of the Eastern Market, the red dots (meaning sold artworks) were more abundant then any gallery opening I have seen in Birmingham in the past year. If you like art, this is a must see gallery. Check them out on the web and on Facebook. Support these artists and you are supporting our great city of Detroit. http://innerstategallery.com https://www.facebook.com/InnerStateGallery?directed_target_id=0

Red Bull House of Art Detroit

Something really exciting is happening in Detroit, and so many people still don't know about it. Enter The Red Bull House of Art Detroit. Located in Detroit's Eastern Market district, this cavernous underground space, once used as a prohibition hideaway has been transformed into a raw artist studio space. This is the 6th cycle in the art gallery space where artists who work in a variety of media, from oil paintings, to fiber to steel sculptures get a chance to show Detroit what they can do. It is a chance for a new crop of artists to get some amazing exposure. I have been to every one of the new cycle openings. It is jam packed with people, energy and great music. I even saw one of the members of the band the Rascals getting down on the dance floor this past cycle. The artists have just eight weeks to create an entire body of work for the exhibition. “It’s supposed to represent a variety of different artists and mediums,” said Matt Eaton, who curated the show. “I’m curating personalities, people who are passionate about what they do and the process. I think it turned out being a diplomatic broad selection of work without forcing my taste. "The mission here, obviously, is to give people wings," said Matt Eaton, director and curator of Red Bull House of Art. "It's absolutely not a matter of finding the coolest artists. It's a matter of finding the most passionate artists with the most to lose if they take any risks, and giving them an opportunity to really take risks." Join the Red Bull House of Art Facebook page and get to the next cycle opening!